The present invention relates to intravascular devices and methods. More particularly, the invention relates to a multiple balloon catheter which may be placed either during a surgical procedure as needed or preoperatively in one or more venous structures to quickly and safely induce hemostasis in the event of venous injury during a surgical procedure.
All surgical procedures involve some level of risk to the patient. The human body has an extensive arterial and venous vascular structure and system that extends from the heart through the torso to the head and limbs. During surgical procedures, the surgeon must be very careful when working in an area where major arterial and venous structures are located. One risk during surgery is inadvertent damage to the vascular structures in the vicinity of the surgical site which may occur due to surgical instrument slippage or organ/bone manipulation, for example. Particularly in the area of anterior lumbar spinal access and robotic pelvic surgery, the major venous structures may be inadvertently damaged by surgical manipulation. As most present day surgeons will attest, the ability to achieve the required vascular occlusion proximal and distal to the site of injury is often difficult, if not impossible, particularly when utilizing less invasive surgical approaches. The inability to quickly deal with unintentional vascular hemorrhaging during surgery raises the risk of permanent bodily damage or death to the patient. There therefore remains a need for improved devices and methods for obtaining hemostasis in the event of unintended vascular hemorrhaging.